What kind of artist would suit this role?
To excel in this role, you need strong design fundamental skills and be able to communicate your thinking quickly and effectively– ideally through sketches. The most believable hard surface designs have thought and iteration behind them, so just being able to render a good looking, finished image isn’t enough, you need to be able to think, design and solve problems through your designs.
Someone who is passionate about real world design and who is mechanically minded is also a plus. They’d ask themselves questions like: how does a suspension system work? What makes a weapon fire? How does a jet engine work? All these things inform and help create stronger hard surface designs.

What should I include in my portfolio to impress?
We would need to see strong examples of hard surface design, so anything like props, vehicles, weapons, mechs. You also get bonus points if you can show design iteration and your thinking process as well. It’s one thing to show a finished polished piece but showing sketches and ideas so we can see how you came to the finished design is really helpful. These should be presented cleanly, it is still your portfolio and everything needs to look presentable.

What kind of projects will I be working on?
Anything from real world to fantasy and sci-fi to post-apocalyptic themes. Shooters, racing games, RPG’s – anything could come into the studio that needs a hard surface specialist, so a broad knowledge of subjects is essential.

What are top 3 tips to prepare myself for the interview process?
Know your process - It’s super helpful for us to know how you work and how you come up with your designs, so be prepared to take us through how you go about it.
Know your subject – We’re really looking for someone who knows their hard surface design, so prepare to talk hard surface. Who’s your favourite designer and why? What’s your favourite real-world design and why? Things like that.
It’s not all about the art – We’re also looking for someone who is friendly, easy to talk to and will fit into our collaborative studio culture. So try to relax and be yourself, it will help make a good impression.

Don't forget to follow Atomhawk's Portfolio Guide and send your application in at atomhawk.com/careers.

This Q&A was originally posted in part at http://atomhawk.com in March 2019.

Internal project dynamic shot by Matthias Kapuvari

Because of all the information overload on social media and art-share websites, it's hard to stand out from the 'crowd'. What makes you want to double-check/linger on someone's art page when you're on your daily ArtStation scroll?

Standing out in the crowd is something all of us artists have had trouble facing at some point or another. What makes me stop and linger on someone’s work is the way they use shape language and value structures in a painting. Use lighting and values to draw the eye along shapes to make statements with your pieces that will catch a viewer’s eye.

Look at old masters like John Berkey and Frank Frazetta; shape language and shape design are an important skill to invest in as a concept artist and will make it easier to catch someone’s attention on first glance. – Damian Audino, Senior Concept Artist

How can I build my personal brand as an artist on social media?

Social media is a great way to get involved in the community and build a following and client base. It can be a slow start; building a following is an exponential process so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get thousands of followers right away. Here are some ways to get noticed on social media:

• Have conversations: follow your favourite artists and post positive comments on their artwork, check the comments for other like-minded people to follow, eventually the algorithm will catch on to your interests and provide similar creators to engage with

• Use trending hashtags: using too many hashtags on your posts won’t really help your growth, but if you’re seeing a lot of buzz around certain hashtags (like the popular #PortfolioDay, #VisibleWomen or #DrawingWhileBlack) and they’re relevant to you and your work, get on that while it’s hot!

• Post your work, even your sketches: it can be scary to post unfinished work, but it’s something people love to see! It also helps hype your finished image as you bring followers along your journey of creating art

• Share your process: one of the most powerful tools in our connected world is skill sharing. Tutorials are hugely popular and giving back to fellow artists helps build trust among your community

• Be exemplary: social media favours informal speech, so don't overthink your words and just be yourself, but remember to always be kind, especially to aspiring or non-artists who become your fans

On a more serious note: it’s key to say that social media can unfortunately harbour trolls and bad-mannered people. If you or your friends experience harassment, it's a good habit to blocking and reporting them. Sometimes responding to trolls can make a situation worse, so avoid communicating with them if you can. There's a lot of great information about managing trolls these days, so confide with people you trust or a professional for support and advice; don't feel like you have to go through it alone. – Justine Colla, Marketing Manager

I am currently a junior Concept Artist and wish to someday reach the Atomhawk quality benchmark, how does your internship program work, and is it paid? 

Our internships are offered to promising young artists, students and graduates looking to get their foot in the industry. The ultimate aim of the program is for the applicant to progress into a full-time Junior position at the end the internship. The program starts off by focusing on creating an Atomhawk-quality image with close guidance from the art team. The image is then revisited and reworked in a completely new way, the brief and process will be set by our team. Finally, shadowing tasks and further tailored training will test what you've learned and apply it to similar time constraints as our art team. Read more about our internship here.

Applicants need to demonstrate a portfolio which shows experience in art fundamentals (light, form, composition, perspective, etc) and a sense of design thinking, storytelling and personality. Internships are granted on a case-by-case basis and are voluntary, with recoverable travels and expenses up to £500 per month. – Tim Wilson, Managing Director

Check out our available positions at http://atomhawk.com/careers 

What is the best way for artists to get noticed and get a foot in the industry?

An impressive portfolio will always be the best way to get a foot in the industry. We recommend updating your portfolio regularly and only including your best pieces. Look at the work that your favourite studios are producing and create a couple of images that would fit well with their style. ArtStation is the standard for portfolio websites these days and a great place to get involved with the art community.

Network is equally important to a good portfolio and try to do it as much as you can. If there are no art communities in your local area, we recommend getting involved in Discord servers, Facebook groups and online competitions like 3dtotal and Atomhawk's own art competition we hold every July.

And of course, keep practicing! – Darren Yeomans, Studio Director

Do you have any questions for Atomhawk artists? Leave them in the comments and we will do our best to answer them in a future Q&A!

We're so happy to announce the opening of Atomhawk's third studio! 💻🛠️

Our new Technical Art-focused studio will future-proofing the growing needs of concept art in next-gen games, providing UX & UX Design and Development, Technical Art Direction, Realtime VFX and more! Want to venture into the future of concept art with us? We have lots of remote opportunities available:

📊 Technical Art Producer
👨‍🎨 UI / UX Artist
👩‍🔧 UI / UX Programmer
🧰 Technical Art Generalist

Apply ➡ atomhawk.com/careers

Every July we invite concept artists from around the world to join our annual Art Competition. For 2021, the theme was “The Return”; what were the interpretations this year? A forgotten project revisited, reigniting ancient magic; a village brave returns to avenge past crimes, while a monster once defeated raises its heavy head for a final dose of terror.

The submissions were judged on creative details and ability to tell a compelling story. With over 360 submissions this year, we were impressed with sheer level of creativity from entrants across the globe who explored many unique ideas and incorporated a strong sense of atmosphere into their artworks.

After much deliberation with the judges, the final six winners exemplified storytelling, creativity and technical acumen. Winners will receive a selection of incredible artist goodies from Adobe, Wacom, Escape Technology, Proko, Sumo Digital, ArtStation, 3dtotal and Photobash. 

GRAND WINNER: KAT TALAR

We are thrilled to announce that first place goes to Kat Talar for this touching forest homecoming. “The atmosphere portrayed in this scene draws me in; makes me want to know more about this story,” says Atomhawk UK Studio Director, Darren Yeomans, “the Atomhawk Art Competitions are a storytelling contest first and foremost and Kat nailed the brief in all aspects. The artwork’s composition works well, supported by beautiful lighting. I’d love to see this as an animated short.”

From all of us at Atomhawk, we want to extend a huge congratulations to Kat!

Kat is now the proud owner of a 1 Year Adobe Stock license, a Nintendo Switch and an Anatomy Skull figure, courtesy of our generous friends at Adobe, Escape Technology, Sumo Digital and Proko. Other prizes include store credit to 3dtotal, ArtStation and Photobash as well as a choice of portfolio review or paintover by an Atomhawk Lead Artist.

Please check out more of Kat’s work at artstation.com/kattalar

SECOND PLACE: SVETLANA BEREZINA

Second place goes to Svetlana Berezina’s enchanting depiction of unrequited love, or perhaps a love lost? “I was immediately drawn to the style of this image; one of the more unique interpretations of The Return theme,” says Atomhawk Lead Artist, Charlie Bowater, “Svetlana exemplifies composition, lighting and storytelling that invites the viewer to step into the headspace of the heroine.”

Please check out more of Svetlana’s work at artstation.com/gwennet

THIRD PLACE: TED ARFKEN

Third place goes to Ted Arfken with this gritty shock moment that looks like it could be pulled right from this summer’s blockbuster thriller flick. "Fantastic composition and framing of the main character along with great mood makes this piece positively terrifying,” says Dario Jelušić, Principal Concept Artist, “Great job Ted! This was a real stand out."

Please check out more of Ted’s work at artstation.com/tarfken

HAWK’S CHOICE AWARD: MURILO JUSTINIANO & ALBEN TAN

The Hawk’s Choice Award is decided by the Atomhawk team, who have voted for their favourite artworks which nailed “The Return” brief. From all the Hawks, we extend a huge congratulations to Murilo and Alben, joint winners of the Hawk’s Choice Award for their gorgeous artworks.

Among other prizes, they with both receive their choice of a portfolio review or paintover by an Atomhawk Senior Artist, in hopes to help them further their artistic careers.

Please check out more of Murilo’s work at artstation.com/murilo_justiniano and Alben’s at artstation.com/alben_tan

RISING STAR MENTORSHIP: LEONARDO AMBROSINI

Last, but certainly not least, we are thrilled to announce that the winner of the Rising Star Mentorship is Leonardo Ambrosini, who was one of our Honourable Mentions from last year’s “The Adventure Begins” competition. “I really like the overall composition, storytelling and world that Leonardo built, so there is a good artistic foundation,” says Principal Concept Artist, Thomas Stoop, “I’m positive our team can help push the overall design and work on some technical aspects to elevate the work to the next level.”

Leonardo has won an exclusive mentorship with an Atomhawk Senior Artist and a Wacom Cintiq 16, courtesy of Wacom and Escape Technology. Other prizes include store credit to Proko, 3dtotal and ArtStation.

Please check out more of Leonardo’s work at artstation.com/leonardo_ambrosini

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

We were honoured to receive so many great entries for this year’s competition. Overall, the quality was better than ever and it would be amiss to not award some honourable mentions that were standouts from our judges shortlist: Charlotte Kuegler, Jakob Vandenabeele, Omar Gamal Eldin, Lasse, Pedro Ferrer and Noor.

Thank you to the 365 people who entered our art competition this year. We were humbled by your enthusiasm, creativity and ingenuity. We hope you will join us again for next year’s competition!

Please check out more entries with the hashtag #atomhawkreturn and see the announcement and competition details on our website.

Thanks to Max Pears for inviting us on Level Design Lobby! Justine talks about everything Art Competition and why the Rising Star Mentorship and Hawk's Choice Award were introduced in this year's prize pool. A highly recommended listen if you're joining #atomhawkreturn!

Join our art competition at atomhawk.com/thereturn. Submissions close 7th August 2021.

Create a character, environment or key moment with 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 ☄ to win Adobe Stock, Nintendo Switch, Proko Anatomy Skull, an exclusive Atomhawk mentorship and more! Submissions close August 7th 2021.

Details ➡ atomhawk.com/thereturn
 Share WIPs 🎨 #atomhawkreturn

This Q&A was originally posted in part at http://atomhawk.com in March 2019.

Internal environment thumbnails by Thomas Stoop

Where do you draw inspiration for your artworks? And how important is using reference?

As a character concept artist, my major inspiration comes from fashion design and movies. I think it’s important to get inspired by all different kinds of media like music, comic books, fine art in galleries and travel, whether is to a local park or on a hike overseas. Finding your own sources of interest and inspiration outside of video games makes every artist’s work unique and personal.

Although it can feel time consuming to put together, having a good reference board can save you a lot of time in the long run. I find that by spending ample time researching and analysing the subject and theme for each of my artworks, I also get to educate myself and enlarge my visual memory which helps me make the best possible work out of my ideas. – Vlada Hladkova, Principal Concept Artist

How hard is it to work with different styles for so many different projects?

Working with multiple different styles definitely presents a challenge and can occasionally lead to tonal whiplash is you are moving from something dark, realistic and gritty directly to something sweet and cartoony!

In my experience, being able to make that switch takes practice and does get easier with time. I find it helps to have slightly different workflows for each style and to always have the references of the style you need up at all times. – Drew Whitmore, Art Director

I’m interested in exploring UI art more. Where’s a good place for me to start to learn more about the medium?

If you want to learn more about UI art, I recommend looking around at UI artists online and seeing what kind of work catches your eye and gets you excited about the medium. There are tons of talented artists on ArtStation who do more than just illustration, and it’s where I like to browse for inspiration. Pinterest also has a fantastic range of content, as well as more dedicated sites like HUDS+GUIS.

For those who want to learn how to create UI art, I recommend looking up tutorials on YouTube, you’d be surprised how many amazing tutorials are on there for free! There are also a few paid courses on LearnSquared for UI that are designed to take you from a beginner to a professional. - Mike Howie, Senior UI/UX Designer

Does the process of creating concept art vary from video games to film work?

The process varies considerably depending on what the client wants! But for our average project a rough process is typically:

• Briefing and referencing: An artist will get to grips with the requirements of the project and go over references provided and search out others if necessary.

• Sketching: Typically most projects (though not all) will start with rough thumbnails to generate ideas for design or composition etc.

• Sketching / Refining: We'll start to move forward with whichever elements from the thumbnails are working best. We may also implement 3D depending on requirements and the individual artist’s process.

• Refining: With a solid direction we can start working up the design by refining it and adding detail etc.

• Colour: We take the final design through to a finished colour piece.

- Charlie Bowater, Lead Artist

Do you have any questions for Atomhawk artists? Leave them in the comments and we will do our best to answer them in a future Q&A!

As we loudly & proudly celebrate #PrideMonth this year we also acknowledge the ongoing, multi-layered struggles experienced by LGBTQ+ people. We are ever-changing & growing; moving forward we're looking into ways to better support our LGBTQ+ employees & friends! #AtomhawkProud 🏳️‍🌈

Who are your favourite LGBTQ+ artists in history or who are active today? Let us know in the comments!

This week we spent our tea breaks and lunchtime playing games in support of the games industry and World Health Organisation to #PlayApartTogether. Join us in continuing to social distance, wear a mask and wash your hands to protect yourselves and others to do our part in the battle against #COVID19.

WHO are concerned with the escalating crisis in India. They have launched a dedicated messaging service on WhatsApp to keep people safe from coronavirus. Find out more here and let’s continue to protect ourselves as we #PlayApartTogether.

Watch part 2 of our Q&A with Great North Museum: Hancock! Dive deep into the creativity of concept art: inspirations, working to briefs and is it possible to create completely original work? Make sure to check out careers in concept art in part 1 here.

Other Worlds: The Art of Atomhawk is an exhibition at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle. Click here to take a virtual tour of the exhibition.